The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public Policy: An Exploration of Second Edition

The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public Policy: Second Edition is a comprehensive examination of the complex issues facing inner cities and their residents. This thought-provoking book provides a historical overview of the development of inner cities, analyzes the current challenges they face, and evaluates the effectiveness of public policies designed to address these challenges.

The Historical Development of Inner Cities

Inner cities have a long and complex history. In the early days of the United States, cities were primarily centers of commerce and industry. As cities grew, however, they also became home to a growing number of poor and working-class residents. These residents often lived in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, and they had limited access to education, healthcare, and other essential services.

The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public Policy, Second Edition

by Frank Wheeler

4.2 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	4205 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	332 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE

The Great Migration of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North in the early 20th century further exacerbated the problems of inner cities. These migrants were often discriminated against in housing, employment, and education, and they were forced to live in segregated neighborhoods. As a result, African Americans became concentrated in inner cities, and they faced a number of unique challenges.

The Current Challenges Facing Inner Cities

Today, inner cities continue to face a number of serious challenges. These challenges include:

• Poverty: Inner cities have much higher rates of poverty than other areas. In 2019, the poverty rate in inner-city neighborhoods was 25.4%, compared to 10.5% in non-inner-city neighborhoods.
• Unemployment: Inner cities also have much higher rates of unemployment than other areas. In 2019, the unemployment rate in inner-city neighborhoods was 10.6%, compared to 4.1% in non-inner-city neighborhoods.
• Crime: Inner cities also have much higher rates of crime than other areas. In 2019, the violent crime rate in inner-city neighborhoods was 1,163 per 100,000 people, compared to 383 per 100,000 people in non-inner-city neighborhoods.
• Education: Inner-city schools are often underfunded and overcrowded, and they have lower test scores than schools in other areas. In 2019, only 25% of fourth-graders in inner-city schools were proficient in reading, compared to 40% of fourth-graders in non-inner-city schools.
• Health: Inner-city residents have worse health outcomes than residents of other areas. They are more likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. They are also more likely to die prematurely.

These challenges are interconnected and they reinforce each other. Poverty leads to unemployment, which leads to crime. Crime makes it difficult for businesses to operate in inner cities, which leads to job losses. Job losses lead to poverty, and the cycle continues.

Public Policies to Address the Challenges of Inner Cities

There is a long history of public policies designed to address the challenges of inner cities. These policies have included:

• Urban renewal: In the 1950s and 1960s, the federal government invested heavily in urban renewal projects. These projects aimed to clear slums and blight, and to build new housing and infrastructure. However, urban renewal often displaced low-income residents and destroyed their communities.
• Public housing: In the 1930s, the federal government created the Public Housing Authority to provide affordable housing for low-income families. Public housing has been a major source of housing for inner-city residents, but it has also been plagued by problems such as crime, poverty, and isolation.
• Community development block grants (CDBG): In 1974, the federal government created CDBG to provide funding to local governments for community development projects. CDBG has been used to fund a wide range of projects, including affordable housing, job training, and crime prevention programs.

These are just a few of the many public policies that have been implemented to address the challenges of inner cities. However, there is no easy solution to these complex problems. Public policies must be carefully tailored to the specific needs of each inner city, and they must be implemented in a way that is sustainable and effective.

The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public Policy: Second Edition is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to understand the complex challenges facing inner cities and their residents. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the history of inner cities, the current challenges they face, and the public policies that have been implemented to address these challenges.

The second edition of this book has been updated to include the latest research on inner cities. It also includes new chapters on the impact of the Great Recession on inner cities, the rise of the "new economy," and the challenges facing inner cities in the 21st century.

The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public Policy: Second Edition is an essential read for anyone who wants to understand the complex challenges facing inner cities and their residents. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the history of inner cities, the current challenges they face, and the public policies that have been implemented to address these challenges.

The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public Policy, Second Edition

by Frank Wheeler

4.2 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	4205 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	332 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE